Field of the Invention
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a method for sensing a road environment, and more particularly, to a method and device for sensing a road environment based on a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar.
Description of the Related Art
ITU-R recommends various items related to Transport Information and Control Systems (TICS). The Transport Information and Control Systems are systems in which computer, communication, positioning information and vehicle technologies are integrated in order to improve the safety, the efficiency and the management method of terrestrial traffic systems.
Of the TICS, the Advanced Vehicle Control Systems (AVCS) directly related to travel of a vehicle include several items required for preventing a collision, wherein a radar for a vehicle is one of technologies which can be applied for safe travel of the vehicle through assistance for the driver.
A radar using a laser beam had been commercialized as a radar for a vehicle in Japan in the early 1980's. However, since the laser beam is so susceptible to various weather conditions or the like, a method using a millimeter wave has nowadays been widely spread. Since a radar for a vehicle using a millimeter wave causes relatively less errors even in various weather conditions on the characteristics of application, and has a feature wherein usage is easy, a radar for a vehicle using a millimeter wave is one of fields for which research is being the most actively conducted. Research for the method is started from the early 1970's, and various products are nowadays mounted on vehicles and operate. Application technologies of vehicle radars are called an active cruise control, an adaptive cruise control, an intelligent cruise control, or the like, representative companies applying the technologies to vehicles include Daimler-Benz, BMW, Jaguar, and Nissan. Especially, the fact that application instances as described above perform a direct vehicle control over a simple alarm using a radar may be regarded as a remarkable technical advance.
In Korea, according to the regulation of Radio Law Article 9, frequencies for vehicle radars are classified and distributed into specific small-output wireless stations in connection with an intelligent traffic system on April 2001. Herein, a frequency band of 76 GHz-77 GHz having a bandwidth of 1 GHz is employed, and the use thereof is stipulated for collision prevention of vehicles or the like.